BIM Fuels Collaborative Innovation

The latest in social-networking strategist David Nour’s exclusive Innovation Executive Briefings has him face-to-face with one of AV’s earliest adopters of building information modeling (BIM). Read why The Sextant Group’s Mark Valenti, CTS®, says BIM is the future and what it’s taken his company to become proficient in the technology.

What Would You Do With a 21:9 Flat Panel?

This is what AV professionals do: They take new technology and make it work for their clients. Now that there is an LED TV on the market designed for CinemaScope-style movie-viewing, what might consultants and integrators do with it? Pitch your best ideas at the InfoComm All Voices Blog and win some InfoComm swag.

Resource Management: Getting What You Need From Workers

By Bradley A. Malone, PMP

Some may say that the most important resource on an AV project is the equipment. Our project management expert begs to differ. But getting the most out of your human resources takes more than just hard work and long hours. There’s a difference between effort and value — and one of them will pay off more for your company in the long run.

Will Youth Be Served in Pro AV?

By Brad Grimes

It’s a familiar refrain in the pro-AV industry: We need to attract more qualified young people to fill our ranks and propel our companies forward. On the flip side, young AV professionals need the same mentoring, training and growth opportunities that got the industry where it is today. Bringing generations together may pose challenges, but fresh talent (when you can find it) breeds success.

Inside the X Games

By Dan Daley, Special to InfoComm International®

Think your most recent client was high maintenance? Try accommodating nearly 1,000 extreme athletes, many of whom would like the DJ to play their favorite song when they compete. Such was the X Games 2012 in Los Angeles (where, by the way, they employed 1,004 two-way radios and 72 channels). Our intrepid reporter went from InfoComm 2012 in Las Vegas to the City of Angels and filed this report.

More News

AV Heroes Program Gets Under WayU.S. military veterans gathered last week for the start of a six-week course at InfoComm University™ in Fairfax, Va., designed to train them for careers in the AV industry with an eye toward CTS certification. The AV Heroes program, sponsored in part by Almo Pro A/V, König & Meyer, Shure, and Vaddio, is the result of a partnership between InfoComm and the United Veterans Learning Centers, in response to the U.S. Veterans Employment Initiative to put veterans back to work. Plans call for the AV Heroes program to be offered quarterly in 2013.

Four (Not So Simple) Ways to Grow Your BusinessIf you’re hatching a business strategy for 2013, try this decades-old approach. Planar’s Jennifer Davis lays out the options for growth, from less risky to more risky, at the InfoComm All Voices Blog. Chime in with your favorite strategies.

Your Summers Just Got Booked — Through 2019
Think you can’t see the future? Think again. Few things are more predictable than an InfoComm Show in June. But now you can start blocking out specific dates for the next seven years. And if you have favorite hotels from prior InfoComm Show cities, well, you’re in luck. Here’s the full schedule.

Implement the Design Standard Before It’s Too Late
When AV projects get complicated, pieces of the job slip through the cracks. InfoComm has a new AV Implementation Handbook — a companion piece to the ANSI/INFOCOMM 2M:2010 Standard Guide for Audiovisual Systems Design and Coordination Processes — that can help your team stay on track. Get your copy now.

In Memoriam — Neil MuncyInfoComm mourns the passing of Neil Muncy, “a passionate contributor and proud participant in the evolution of everything audio,” as eulogized by John Harris, friend and founder of the Toronto-based Harris Institute. Muncy founded SSI Inc. in 1966 and pioneered the use of operational-amplifier technology in multichannel consoles and high-speed tape duplicating systems. Over the years, he was an instructor and guest lecturer at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., and the Music Recording Workshop in Washington, D.C. Muncy was active in the Acoustical Society of America, the Audio Engineering Society (AES), the Canadian Acoustical Association, and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. In 2007, he was given the AES Fellowship Award for outstanding contributions in the fields of noise susceptibility and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in audio systems.

All Your Project Management Insights in One Place
It’s like a crash course in project management without leaving your desk. Popular InfoComm University™ lecturer Brad Malone has crafted a series of in-depth articles covering everything from kick-off meetings to job estimates. Read them all here.

CTS-D Spotted in More RFPs“It is plain to see that earning the CTS-D is a large value-add on a resume — and we’re starting to see it as a requirement on RFPs more frequently. I saw CTS-D as a stepping stone in my career and a great opportunity to widen my skill set.”
—Gina Taylor, CTS-D, Project Engineer, CODA Technology Group

Call 1.800.659.7469 to talk to your regional representative about your path to the CTS-D credentials.

Last Install Courses of 2012
Give your installers a leg up with hands-on training. Hurry, last chance for:

3 IT Challenges — And How to Solve Them
Finally, real-world solutions to AV/IT challenges, plus an in-depth understanding of networks and the way AV applications work within them. Here are just three of the common problem areas integrators face that you’ll explore in Networked AV Systems:

Get Ready for AV Week
AV Week is a great opportunity to interact with your community, educate students and celebrate with colleagues. On Sept. 5, attend the webinar How to Get Involved With AV Week 2012.

5 Steps to Your Standing Ovation
Help shape the AV industry by submitting a proposal to present at InfoComm 2013. Not sure how to get your ideas of the ground? We’ve got five easy steps to follow. But hurry! The deadline for proposals is Sept. 16.

Almo’s E4 Tour Heads Into FallAlmo Professional A/V and InfoComm International® have opened registration for the Fall 2012 E4 AV training and networking events, which will stop in Dallas on Sept.13 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas, and in New York on Oct. 3 at the Meadowlands Expo Center. Almo will offer a newly-updated set of 13 educational sessions, many of which are worth CTS renewal units (RUs).

The Fall E4 schedule is broken down into three separate educational tracks focused on emerging technology, technical knowledge and making money, to help attendees navigate their way through the day. Both events will run from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and are entirely free to Almo Pro A/V’s reseller, integrator and consultant partners. To register, go to www.e4avtour.com.

Minneapolis Roundtable Next Month
InfoComm will be in Minneapolis on Sept. 27. Don’t miss the chance to receive Manufacturers’ Training from Digital Projection and Sonic Foundry and hear Duffy Wilbert, InfoComm Senior Vice President of Member Services, update attendees on the state and future of the AV industry (and earn a CTS renewal unit!). Guest speaker John Fuchs, Senior Vice President of AV-iQ, will present new functionality from AV-iQ online equipment catalog and services database. Save your spot.